Bonita Springs voters secure $35M for BERT

Bonita Springs voters on Aug. 18, approved spending $35 million to buy a section of unused rail corridor and begin converting it into a multiuse trail that connects to a wider network of trail systems. 

Bonita’s section is part of a collaboration with Estero and Collier County to buy 180 acres, or 11.4 linear miles, of corridor from Seminole Gulf Railway to build the Bonita Estero Rail Trail, or BERT. 

The vote was the final measure needed to secure funding for the landmark $60 million sale agreement reached earlier this year between the three governments and the railway operator. 

The parties need to conclude a due diligence process, including an environmental inspection of the site, before an expected sale closing in October. Then, plans to fund BERT design and construction are set to begin. 

Estero and Collier have already made plans to fund their portions of the acquisition. Now Bonita is set to issue $35 million in general obligation bonds, with homeowners paying off the debt on annual tax bills over 30 years. 

Bonita city staff estimated that a resident with an average home value would pay $4.75 per month, or $57 per year. 

About 68%, or more than two out of three Bonita voters, approved the $35 million BERT bond measure. Lee County Elections reported that 8,968 voters approved it, and 4,175 voted against it. 

“With the positive vote from Bonita Springs residents, we have the final piece in place for the purchase of the rail corridor for BERT,” said Deb Orton, president of the advocacy group Friends of BERT. “Our next step is to complete the due diligence efforts that move us closer to the finalization of the purchase in October.” 

Supporters point to the trail’s potential economic, safety and health benefits. The railway runs through downtown Bonita Springs, where local businesses have supported the plan. 

Husband-and-wife Bonita residents and Friends of BERT members Brad and Bridget Maybank were among the “yes” voters. In addition to offering a direct connection to friends in Estero and Collier, they believe the trail will help spur investment downtown and clear up congestion. 

“I do feel like our local businesses will thrive with this, especially with parking the way it is sometimes,” Bridget said. 

The couple also said they own a home near downtown Bonita. That makes them two of about 70,000 residents within a 10-minute bike ride or walk from BERT, according to the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, which brokered the rail corridor sale agreement. 

Other voters question BERT’s value. Bonita residents Eva O’Brien and Michael Corrado said they live too far away from the rail corridor to frequent a trail there. 

“It’s a nice idea,” Corrado said. “But that’s not an investment I’m looking to get into. It seems like a waste.” 

O’Brien added, “There are other places that money could be going.” 

She noted that as a renter, the cost incurred by homeowners might be passed on to her. 

“Everything trickles down,” she said. 

The three governments split up the cost of the sale. Bonita is set to pay $28.6 million for its 5.8-mile portion. Estero is paying $19.8 million for a 4.1-mile stretch and Collier $11.6 million for 1.5 miles. 

The Trust for Public Land, or TPL, will convey the land to Bonita, Estero and Collier if and when the sale closes. The governments may then move forward with designing and building BERT. Funding is expected to come from private donations and federal, state and local sources. 

“We know each local government will coordinate and collaborate together, involve Friends of BERT and Trust for Public Land, and most certainly actively solicit community input for ideas and address any specific questions and concerns,” TPL Southeast Region Conservation Director Doug Hattaway wrote. “The BERT trail can and should be designed to reflect the local communities — culturally, historically and practically — to be a welcoming and accessible place for all.” 

Similar trails in Florida cities, such as Venice, Sarasota, Dunedin and Winter Garden have boosted area business and property values, according to TPL. The Legacy Trail in Sarasota drew about 700,000 users in 2023. 

BERT connects to a larger network of trails that advocates are working to link together, including Lee County’s SUN Trail Network, Collier’s Paradise Coast Trail and the 400-plus-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which is about half finished. It runs from the Tampa-St. Petersburg area to Naples.